The parents of Mary Jane Veloso wrote a letter to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday to appeal for clemency for Mary Jane on humanitarian grounds following the official announcement of her upcoming return to the Philippines.
Mary Jane Veloso’s parents, together with their group Migrante International and their legal counsel from the National Union of People’s Lawyers, delivered their letter for clemency through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday.
During the meeting with DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, Veloso’s parents also appealed for Mary Jane’s return to the Philippines by Christmas.
“Sa pag-uwi ni Mary Jane dito sa Pilipinas, sana ay diretso na sa aming bahay para makapiling namin ang aming anak. Sabik na sabik na kami sa aming anak para makapiling namin itong Pasko sa tagal niyang nagdusa nang walang kasalanan,” wrote Cesar Veloso, the father of Mary Jane, in their appeal to Marcos Jr.
[When Mary Jane returns here to the Philippines, we hope that she is returned directly to our home so that we can be together with our daughter. We are very eager to be together with our daughter once again after suffering for so long without having done anything wrong.]
The parents remain adamant about Mary Jane’s innocence as an OFW who was deceived by her human traffickers, even after 14 years of detention and death row in Indonesia.
“Nangarap [si Mary Jane] na mag-ibang bansa upang kahit papaano ay mabago ang aming pamumuhay at mapatapos ang kanyang mga anak. At dahil sa pangarap na yon ay nagtiwala siya sa mga taong sa pag-aakala niya ay maganda at mabuti ang intensyon sa kanya,” wrote Celia Veloso, the mother of Mary Jane, in their appeal for clemency.
[Mary Jane desired to go abroad to somehow change our lives and put her children through school. And because of her dream, she trusted people who she thought had good intentions for her.]
During the parents’ meeting with the DFA on Tuesday, de Vega agreed to forward the Velosos’ appeal letter to President Marcos Jr.
Makabayan lawmakers file House resolution to appeal Mary Jane’s clemency to Marcos
On Wednesday, the parents of Mary Jane Veloso and Migrante International joined representatives from the Makabayan Coalition in filing a House Resolution for Mary Jane’s clemency.
The resolution, introduced by Representatives Arlene Brosas, France Castro, and Raoul Manuel, urges the Philippine government, through President Marcos Jr, to grant Mary Jane Veloso clemency on the grounds that she is a victim of human trafficking and not a drug mule.
Veloso’s parents thanked Makabayan solons for forwarding their clamor for Mary Jane’s clemency through Congress.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa Makabayan sa pagrepresenta sa mga OFW at tagasuporta ni Mary Jane sa Kongreso. Kaisa sila sa ating paggiit sa katunayan na hindi na dapat magdusa si Mary Jane sa isang krimen na hindi naman niya ginawa,” said Celia Veloso.
[We thank Makabayan for representing OFWs and supporters of Mary Jane in Congress. They are one with our assertion of the truth that Mary Jane should no longer suffer for a crime that she did not even commit.]
OFW group Migrante International called on the Philippine lawmakers to support Makabayan’s clemency call for Mary Jane Veloso and protect Filipino human trafficking victims.
“Back in 2003, Bayan Muna of Makabayan passed the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. They were also with us when we won the campaign to stay the execution of Mary Jane Veloso in 2015. Now that Mary Jane is coming home, we hope that the Philippine government will do all that it takes to finally end human and labor trafficking in our country,” said Josie Pingkihan, Migrante International Deputy Secretary General.###
